consumer spending - All posts tagged consumer spending

Average consumer spending fell in 2013, its first drop in three years, as cautious families cut expenditures on restaurants, clothing, entertainment, alcohol and tobacco, and slashed charitable contributions, according to government data released Tuesday.

It’s likely that data to be released Wednesday will show that retail-sales growth held steady last month, supported by large retail chains, but somewhat offset by lower auto and gas sales, according to economists polled by MarketWatch.

March and April sure look a lot different than January and February. Most economic indicators have perked up in the early spring and that’s no surprise: the weather is a lot better. And a bevy of reports on Thursday is expected to underscore the “spring snapback” theme.